Letter-box



{No Model.)

G. H. FSTERl LETTER BOX.

Patented Sept. -18.Y 1888 wfg/#5555 N. PEYERS. PMID-Lithograph, Wiihngtlln. D. C

5o sible to detach it when locked.

' UNITED STATES 4 PATENT Orrin,

GEORGE HENRY FISTER, OF ELKHART, INDIANA.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,744. dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed January '7, 188B. Serial No. 260,039. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY FIsTER, a citizen of theUuited States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to letter-boxes, intended more especially for the reception of mail matter delivered at residences, offices, Ste., but adapted, also, for usein public places, as a general collection-box by the Post-0ffice Department.

The object of the invention is to provide a box which shall bc perfectly safe as respects the unlawful abstraction of its contents, and which shall also be readily and conveniently accessible for the :removal of its contents by authorized persons.

The invention consists, partly,in the con.- struction of the depositing-orifice, or, rather, of the means for closing and guarding the same; further, in thepeculiar dropbottom,which not only closes the discharge-opening, but acts as a holder for the mail matter while it is being collected; further, in a novel paper and package holder, forming an attachment to the box, and, finally, in various combinations of the several operative parts. All these features are fully hereinafter described and claimed, and are illustrated in accompanying drawings, in which Figure 11's a front view of the box. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 8 represents a modification of thelock for securing the drop-bottom.

- A represents the box proper, made of iron, cast or otherwise formed into the proper shape, and having a top, a, sides a a', and front a2. The box is also provided with a projecting flange, a, extending entirely around it, by means of which it may be secured to a door or wall or other permanent structure; but it is preferred, when attaching the box to a door or wall, to secure it from the inside of the box by screws or otherwise, so that it would be impos- The back of the box is a sheet-metal plate, B, large enough to cover the open rear side of box A and the ange a3. The back is secured by screws or rivets,or catches b passing through the flanges.

C represents a glass front plate, held in place by lugs c, riveted to the front a?, the latter being perforated or cast in open work, as shown in Fig. l, in order to protect theglass and still render the contents of the box visible. In a streetbox for public use the glass front might be dispensed with. n

The receiving-oriticeD is a transverse slot formed in the top of the box and closed by a gravity-cover of peculiar construction. This cover E is a curved sliding plate, having at each end an arm, e, by means of which it is pivoted, as at e', to the sides of the box on the inside. By means of a stud, e?, the cover may be raised upward to the position shown by dotted lines, exposing the letter-opening, and will close the same by gravity when released.

Within the box and just inside of the sliding cover is a spring-guard, F. This is preferably a sheet-metal plate pivoted upon a transverse rod,f. A wire spring, f, is coiled upon this rod, one end bearing upon the front of the box and the other upon the springguard,which is thereby forced upward against the sliding cover. When a letter is inserted, the guard may be forced down far enough to admit the same, but immediately springs back and closes the opening.

The bottom of the box is entirely open, except when closed by the drop-cover G. This cover is a curved metal plate pivoted to lugs g g, secured to the bottom flange of the box. The' drop-bottomG has sufficient curvature to form a receptacle for the mail matter, so that when lowered, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the letters will be held t-herein, ready for collection, which would not be the case were a straight bottom used. The bottom is closed and secured by a sliding bolt, which may be secured either to the front of the box, as in Fig. 2, or to the bottom itself, as in Fig. 3. In Fig. 2 the bolt 7L slides in a barrehh', attached to the box-front, and engages with the hook t' on the bottom, a key being used from the outside for releasing .the bottom. A spring-bolt may be used, if desired.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 3 ablock, j, is secured near the upper edge of the bottom ICO cover, to which is attached the barrel in which slides the locking-bolt, the latter in this ease engaging from below with the lower edge ot" box-front.

P represents a paper and parcel holder, formed, preferably, ot' a single length of wire bent into rectangular shape and secured by screws p to tbetop flange. The holder is bent, as shown in Fig. 2, into proper shape for such a receptacle, and may be inade of sheet metal instead of wire,

Having thus described my invention, Ielaim as new and desire to secnreby Letters Patentl. In aletter-box, the combination, with the receptacle A,open at rear and bottom and having a continuous projecting lange,ot' the separable bacl; plate secured to said tlange, and a hinged dropbottoin, all substantially as described.

2. In a let-ter box, the combination of the sliding cover, an inner pivoted guard-plate below and substantially in line with said cover, so as to temporarily close the opening, and a spring bearing` on said plate for forcing it constantly toward said opening, substantially as described.

3. In a letter-box,the eombination,with the receptacle A., having its bottoni entirely open, of a hinged inail-receptacle forming the entire bottom and a portion ofthe front of the said receptacle A when locked, and so curved as to retain all the inail when dropped to its farthest e\tent7 substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have aflixed my sgnaturein presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY FISTER. Witnesses:

CHARLES S. HENDERSON, ll. E. ERENNAN. 

